[Lancaster, Pa.] Armstrong Flooring announced Linron Company as the 2015 Recycler of the Year. The company said Linron has recycled 16 million pounds of vinyl composition tile through the Armstrong Flooring On&On Floor Recycling Program. "It is honor to accept this award and be able to work so closely with Armstrong,” said Linda Krienke, executive vice president and owner at Linron. "Through Armstrong’s recycle program we are able to have continued success by achieving our goal of specializing in cus...

[Dalton] J+J Flooring Group has introduced a new 18 x 36 modular plank called Etched. According to the company, Etched was crafted to be reminiscent of the art of etching, features 12 colorways and textured patterned loop construction. J+J Flooring stated that that Etched comes with lifetime performance warranties for fiber, yarn and backing systems. Nexus modular products such as Etched are manufactured in an ISO 14001 certified facility and contribute to LEED by containing pre-consumer recycled conten...

[Bethany, Conn.] Laticrete International announced the opening of its new factory in South China’s Huizhou City. This is the company’s 18th factory and second in China. Laticrete said it held an on-site ribbon cutting ceremony on May 12. Attendees included Erno de Bruijn, COO of the company’s global headquarters and president of the international division, Faisal Saleem, vice president of the international division, and more than 50 distributors from around the country. According to Laticret...

[Bonita Springs, Fla.] Abbey Carpet Company announced that Ken Sherwood has joined the company as vice president of franchise development, Western and Rocky Mountain States. According to Abbey, in this newly created position, Sherwood will be responsible for prospecting and engaging qualified retailers for the purpose of joining either Abbey Carpet & Floor or Floors To Go. Sherwood is a 37 year veteran of the flooring industry.

[Johnson City, Tenn.] Mullican Flooring announced that Kim Keys has been promoted to customer service manager. “Kim has proven herself as a strong leader and skilled customer service professional," said Brian Greenwell, vice president of sales and marketing. “Her expertise and depth of knowledge make her a tremendous resource for our customers.” According to the company, Keys has been with Mullican Flooring since 2005. “I am humbled at the continued faith that Mullican Flooring has placed in me,” Keys s...

By Janet Herlihy [Dalton] As part of its ongoing reorganization, Beaulieu America has created a new structure for its national sales network. “There are four districts now, each with a senior vice president,” explained Steve Hillis, president of Flooring at Beaulieu America. “There will still be residential, commercial and hospitality sales teams but each will have twice as much product available. As of August 1, all sales teams will sell all products—residential, commercial and hospitality. We are brea...

[Florence, Ala.] HPS Schönox announced additions to its sales and technical support team. Bernie Cooper and David Lepird have joined the company as regional business managers in high-growth geographic areas: Cooper is based in Pennsylvania and Lepird is based in Florida. “Bernie and David bring both the business and the technical knowledge that supports all aspects of our customers’ planning, specification, and project execution needs,” explained Doug Young, executive vice president, HPS Schönox.“This i...

[Exton, Pa.] Fritztile announced the introduction of its new Vibrant Pearl collection to the flexible terrazzo tile line. The collection features 10 patterns combining natural stone chips with mother of pearl, set in an opaque high performance matrix. Highly durable and easy to maintain, Fritztile terrazzo tiles are an ideal solution for airports, education, arenas, healthcare, hospitality, corporate and retail markets. "We are excited to introduce the Vibrant Pearl collection and expand our product offe...

[Bethany, Conn.] Laticrete has announced the introduction of the Hydro Ban Linear Drain in wedge wire, a low profile linear floor drain specifically designed for bonded waterproofing installations with Hydro Ban waterproofing membrane. As with all Hydro Ban Linear Drains, Laticrete said this wedge wire drain also allows for the use of large format tile or stone installations in showers with a single plane slope. “Keeping the simplicity and style of the Hydro Ban Linear Drains, Laticrete is now offering a...

Last year, the flooring industry grew by a modest 4 percent – not bad at all. Better still, I think the industry has turned a corner and expect that 2015’s growth will set the stage for further growth in the coming years, as it already has for this year. There are lots of positive variables in place that support that view: housing is stabilized and steadily growing and there is a demand for new inventory, the leading edge of Millennials have entered their home buying years (or at least getting out of the...